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Every August, I feel excited about the new school year. Mostly, it’s because there are opportunities to do things better than I did the previous year. It feels as if we’re starting off with a clean slate, and I haven’t made a lot of mistakes yet. And the best part: we’re not behind! A fresh start with homeschooling can begin anytime. Then we get

Every homeschooling co-op is different. Although co-ops are started to meet the needs of homeschooling families in a particular area, the way each one grows and develops is as unique as the students involved. Suzanne Brown is a long-time homeschooling mom and a founding member of the Upstate Homeschool Co-op, one of the largest co-ops in the upstate of South Carolina. The Upstate Homeschool Co-op

Usually I have a couple of months’ break, but this time, it started almost as soon as the school year did. I tried to stave it off from the beginning. I hyped up the new subjects and textbooks. I was excited about all the new things we were going to learn together. I talked about fun field trips we could take as we studied

#3: Life Will Happen Life does just happen. Even the best-laid plans for getting the schoolwork done can be thwarted by the unexpected. Doctors visits, out-of-town company, car problems, bill payments, sick pets, necessary phone calls, friends or family in trouble, a neighbor in need — all types of situations can throw off a school day. If your children were in school, you could handle a lot of things

I love looking through used book sales for bargains, and at a recent sale, I found a gem! It’s The Anti-Coloring Book by Susan Striker. The cover says that it’s good for ages 6 and up, but many of the pages would work for younger children, too. What makes this an “anti-coloring” book is that children don’t color the pictures — they draw them!

The other day, I sent my eighteen-year-old out to the store to pick up some sweet rolls. He called me while he was there, asking where to find them. I told him to go along the back wall by the dairy and they would be in the corner to the right. “How did you know that?” he asked. “Because I’ve been grocery shopping for

Learning Through the Junior Ranger Program Recently, we visited the Carl Sandburg House, where author and poet Carl Sandburg lived with his family during the last 20 years of his life. When he passed away, his wife Lilian wanted to preserve his legacy; his home became part of a national park. Now when visitors tour the home, kids (of all ages) can also join

Whether your child is learning about animals or his own body, a study of bones is a good place to start. And you can find the supplies you need in your local grocery store – or your very own kitchen! What You’ll Need Disposable Pan Bleach Whole Chicken from the Grocery Store Tape Construction Paper Picture of a human skeleton Picture of a chicken’s

This year, I’m teaching a creative writing class at our co-op. The students are learning how to use just the right words to describe objects, pets, and people. So to practice, we played a “describing” game. This game worked well with a large group, but it could easily be played by just two or three. Supplies Brown Paper Lunch Bags Small recognizable objects that

Fall is my favorite time of year. But because it’s the start of the school year, it usually flies by in the flurry of schoolwork, lessons, and appointments, and I feel as if we’ve missed it. So this fall, we’re making a point to enjoy the season. Here are some ideas for fall activities to help your family enjoy the season too. Fall Harvest